Feeling Safe
by TartanLioness
Summary: when having nightmares, what can you do? you can make sure that yu feel safe...


Title: Feeling Safe

Author: TartanLioness

Disclaimer: not mine…yet… bwahahahaha…

A scream shattered the deep silence of Hogwarts at night. In her rooms, Minerva McGonagall, respected, feared and loved teacher, sat up in bed, sweating, shaking with coldness. She looked around in her darkened room, breathing deeply. It was only a matter of minutes, however, before she lay down again, trying to fall asleep. Relatively quickly her breathing evened out and she was asleep again.

That morning at breakfast, Albus, Headmaster of Hogwarts, old coot and her best friend, leaned closer and whispered something in her ear. With an irritated jerk of the head, she replied with a hiss, "I am fine, just tired. I had a nightmare."

"Again? Dear, it's the eleventh time in a fortnight!"

"I'm well aware of that, Albus, as I'm the one who hasn't been sleeping," she said warily. She knew very well that the bags underneath her eyes weren't growing smaller; she knew how pale and tired she looked and she wished there was something to be done about it.

"Do you sleep with your hands on your chest?" asked Albus, out of the blue, it seemed. Minerva looked startled.

"I beg your pardon!"

"Do you sleep with your hands placed on your chest?" he repeated.

"What does that have to do with anything!"

"You see, it's an old Mexican belief that if you sleep like that, you'll receive the nightmares," he said matter-of-factly. Minerva stared at him in great surprise.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm old, Minerva, I've learned quite a lot in my time of living."

"Oh… I see. But no, actually, I do not sleep with my hands on my chest."

"Ah. Do you eat anything before going to sleep, my dear?"

"Of course not, Albus! Honestly, don't you think I've tried everything I could think of? And that includes refraining from eating right before going to sleep."

"How about a dream catcher then?" Albus suggested merrily. Minerva looked exasperated.

"A _dream catcher_, Albus? They don't work, you realize that, right?"

"Have you ever tried?" he countered.

"I would never try such nonsense!"

"Then isn't it your own fault that you can't get rid of the blasted nightmares?" he asked, teasingly.

Minerva sighed deeply.

"I'm sick of waking up every night, Albus. I don't know what to do." She placed her head in her hands, resting her elbows on the table.

"Are you going to tell me what these nightmares are about?" he asked gently. Minerva didn't answer for a while, and then she straightened up and shook her head.

"I can't, Albus."

"Ah, well, have you tried writing them down? You know, of course, that another way of getting rid of the nightmares is by facing them."

"Yes, I have a journal full of descriptions of nightmares!" Minerva shook her head in frustration. Albus seemed to think for a moment, then he said,

"Sometimes nightmares can be brought on by stress or feeling unsafe. Even by being cold. Do you recognize either of those?"

"Albus," nearly laughed Minerva, "I work at Hogwarts, of course I know stress! As for feeling unsafe… don't we all? What, with You Know Who still on the loose. And," she sighed. "I haven't had anyone to keep my warm at night for a long time, nothing but a blanket and a fireplace."

That night, Minerva was hesitant to go to bed, knowing that her sleep would most likely be filled with images of Albus again. Images of him being found dead, headlines in the _Daily Prophet_ saying 'ALBUS DUMBLEDORE FOUND DEAD! Is this the end?'

She could vividly recall the bloody body of her best friend and secret love, tortured, in pain, and then he would scream and so would she and wake up. It was the same each and every night. With a deep sigh and got ready for bed.

It was well past midnight when the silence was once again disturbed by a shriek. But as Minerva lay back down against her pillows, sleep wouldn't find her. Albus' voice kept creeping into her head, whispering to her, 'Are you cold, are you scared?'

"Yes," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Yes, I'm scared. I'm scared that you'll be hurt or die. I'm scared that You Know Who will separate us after all these years. I'm cold and lonely, because I'm scared, because I'm afraid of telling you that I want you to be the one to give me warmth at night, at all times of the day." As she finished, her voice was barely audible. Then she realized, 'I'm cold because Albus isn't here. I'm scared because Albus isn't here. And I need to face my nightmares…'

With a determined huff, she got out of bed and put on her dressing gown, and nearly ran down the hallways, on the lookout for students but not for the usual reason. Finally she reached the entrance to Albus' office, her robes billowing behind her. Speaking the password, she stepped onto the moving staircase and soon she was in front of the concealed doorway to Albus' private chambers.

She spoke the password to reveal the door and knocked softly; suddenly deserted by her courage. When she didn't receive an answer, she quietly opened the door, peering inside. She had always adored his living room but as she stepped through it now, she hardy noticed the portraits, pictures and odd silver things. She headed straight for the door to Albus' bedchambers and knocked that one too, again without receiving an answer and again opening it to peer inside. In his king-size four-poster bed, Albus was lying, fast asleep, wearing a purple nightcap. Minerva smiled softly and tip-toed inside. She sat down on the edge of the bed and automatically, Albus slid further away and pulled Minerva down to spoon with him. As she relaxed into his warmth and snuggled closer, she fell asleep, feeling warm and safe.

A few hours later, Minerva woke up; startled when she felt something warm behind her, moving. Turning around slowly, her eyes locked with the warm blue ones that belonged to her best friend. She stumbled out of bed, looking absolutely aghast.

"Good morning, Minerva," said Albus softly, not breaking their gaze. She blushed but was unable to look away.

"I'm sorry, Albus," she whispered.

"Whatever for, my dear?"

"For – This!"

"Surely, Minerva, you don't think I mind waking up with you in my arms? However, there's one question going through my mind. Why did you come?"

"Why did I come? I don't really know. You told me to face my nightmares, I suppose."

"I'm your nightmare?" he asked, teasingly.

"Yes." Her voice was low and serious and Albus' face fell slightly. "You are – were – my nightmare. Every night almost, I've had images of you flooding my mind in my sleep, dead, tortured, in pain, screaming for help, and I can't help you. You bleed to death in my arms, the rain soaking both of us. I'm scared and cold, Albus. I'm scared of You Know Who, I'm scared that he'll separate us, and I'm cold because I'm too scared to tell you I need you. You told me to face my fears and I did. I came here, because here I feel warm, I feel safe and I know that you won't get murdered in your sleep. I am near you and that's the most important thing."

Albus sat up in bed, beckoning her to him. Hesitantly she went to sit on the edge of the bed, like she had the night before.

"I swear, Minerva, I won't let Voldemort tear us apart. I'd like to hold you in my arms every night, to chase away your demons and tell you every night how much I love you, and I will, if you'll let me."

"Yes, Albus," Minerva said, tears in her eyes. He pulled her into is arms, holding her tightly to him. "I love you, Minerva," he said so sincerely that the tears in Minerva's eyes overflowed and poured down her cheeks.

"I love you too, Albus. Forever."

Their lips met in a first kiss, a promise of tomorrow, of hope, of love.

Fin.


End file.
